Apparatus for cleaning rolls



8- 1942- L. M. SPRAKER APPARATUS FOR CLEANING ROLLS Filed Dec. 6, 1940INVENTOR L/v/xvas TON M SPRAKEE Mr ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 4, 1942APPARATUS FOR CLEANING ROLLS Livingston M. Spraker,'Palatine Bridge, N.Y., assignor to Beech-Nut Packing Company, Canajoharie, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application December 6, 1940, Serial N0. 368,810

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to apparatus forcleaning cylinders orrolls, such for example as the ink rolls of printingmachines, andengraving cylinders.

One of the objects of the invention is to pro-- vide an apparatus ofthis character which is simple in construction and. convenient in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of thecharacter indicated which is capable of effectively and expeditiouslyclean-= ing, washing, polishingor scrubbing a cylinder or roll.

The several features of the invention, whereby these and other objectsmay be attained, will be readily understood from the followingdescription and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of my improved apparatus inits preferred form; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, taken on the line 2-4, of Fig. 1.

The apparatus illustrated in the drawing is provided with a base orframe having end walls or standards 2 that are connected by side rails4.- Between the end walls 2 are arranged two cleaning brushes 6 and 8which are carried by shafts III that extend through and are journaled inbearings I2 on the end walls 2.

The two shafts III are driven in opposite directions, as indicated bythe arrows in Fig. 2, by intermeshing gears l4 on corresponding endsthereof. The gears l4 are driven through an idler gear l6 whichoperatively engages one of the gears I4, and this idler I6 is driventhrough an idler 18 by a pinion 20 on the end of the shaft of anelectric motor 22 mounted on a bracket 24 securedto one of the siderails 4 of the frame.

The cleaning rolls or brushes 6 and 8 are reciprocated longitudinally inopposite directions by means of angular cam disks 26, each of whichengages between two rolls 28 supported on a bracket 30 on themachineframe.

The cleaning rolls 6 and 8 may be formed of any suitable material, suchas fabric disks 32 that are suitably clamped between flanges 34 on theshaft ID by any well known means so that they may be easily removed andreplaced. The cleaning roller 6 is of larger diameter than the roll 8,and the top surfaces of the two rolls may be in substantially the samehorizontal plane as shown. Between the rolls 6 and 8 there is aguard-rod or bar 36.

In alinement with the space between the rolls 6 and 8 are two uprightplates 38 which are secured on the frame end uprights 2 by means of 5sscrews 40 which extend through longitudinally extending slots in thebases 42 of the plates 36. By means of this screw and slot securingmeans, the plates may be adjusted toward and from each other.

The parts above described and their supporting frame may be positionedas a unit in a pan 44 for receiving suitable ink solvent or othercleaning fluid, the lower portions of the cleaning rolls 6 and 8 beingimmersed in the cleaning fluid.

with this construction, when it is desired to clean a cylindrical objectsuch as an ink roll 46, the object is positioned upon the cleaningrollers or brushes 6 and 8 and between the uprights 38.

The roll 46 to be cleaned may be thus positioned on the cleaning brushesand removed therefrom without interrupting the operation of the cleaningbrushes.

The rotation of the cleaning brushes 6 and 8, when a cylindrical objecthas thus been applied to them, in opposite directions and at difl'erentperipheral speeds, causes the object to be forced against them due torotation of the rolls and gravity. As the peripheral speeds of thecleaning brushes are not the same and the brushes are not of the samediameter, the object is caused to revolve at a speed different fromeither of the brushes. This produces a circumferential scrubbing actionto produce a cleaning effect similar to hand washing. At the same timethe cleaning rolls are revolving, the reciprocation thereof as abovedescribed produces a longitudinal scrubbing action on the object whichthereby effectively cleans, washes and polishes the object.

' It will be apparent that from one to three rolls or cylinders may bewashed at one time, each one revolving due to friction between itselfand adjacent cylinder. The guard-bar 36 prevents the smaller rolls beingcleaned, or other objects from working down between thecleaning rollers.The adjustable plates 38 retain the objects being cleaned fromlongitudinal movement during the cleaning operation. The cleaningbrushes may be made of different materials, and their diameters may bevaried to meet different conditions.

It will be apparent that the apparatus will perform the operationsdescribed on any roll or cylinder regardless of the length or diameterwithin the capacity of the particular apparatus, and whether or not theobject has a uniform surface.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art my invention permitsvarious modifications with out departing from the spirit thereof or thescope of the appended claims.

what I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for cleaning rolls or cylinders oi the classdescribed, the combination of cleaning rolls of difl'erent diametersarranged horizontally side by side and adapted to support an object tobe cleaned upon the inner portions of their top surfaces, means forrotating the cleaning rolls in opposite directions at differentperipheral speeds, and means for reciprocating the cleaning rolls inopposite directions, the upper portions of the peripheral surfaces ofthe cleaning rolls moving toward each other.

2. In an apparatus for cleaning cylinders or rolls of the classdescribed, the combination of cleaning rolls arranged horizontally sideby side and adapted to support the object to be cleaned upon the innerportions of their top surfaces, means for rotating the cleaning rolls inopposite directions at diflerent peripheral speeds, means forreciprocating the cleaning rolls in opposite directions, and a containerfor cleaning fluid in which the cleaning rolls are partially submerged,the upper portions of the peripheral surfaces of the cleaning rollsmoving toward each other.

3. In an apparatus for cleaning rolls or cylinders of the classdescribed, the combination of cleaning rolls of difirent diametersarranged horizontally side by side and adapted to support the object tobe cleaned upon the inner portions 1090f their top surfaces, means forrotating the cleaning rolls in opposite directions at differentperipheral speeds, means for reciprocating the cleaning rolls inopposite directions, and means for retaining the object being cleanedfrom axial 15 movement during the operation of said cleaning rolls, theupper portions of the peripheral surfaces of the cleaning rolls movingtoward each other.

LIVINGSTON M. SPEAKER.

